A stretch of ocean water from Encinal Canyon to 31250 Broad Beach Rd., in Malibu, is off-limits following the spill of an estimated 1,000 to 10,000 gallons of untreated sewage. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has declared the beach area closed to the public, urging residents and visitors to stay away from the water and wet sand in the impacted zones.
The problem started on Thursday, when sewage began seeping into the environment, a situation that lasted for approximately 40 minutes. Cal OES got the notification at 10:42 am, and officials were able to halt the flow by 11:20 am the same day, as detailed by the County of Los Angeles. The affected area includes parts of the beach, where the asphalt was hit by the spill, allowing the untreated sewage to trickle down to both the sand and the ocean.
To ensure public safety, the Department of Public Health is actively conducting water sampling in the area. Beach closures will remain in full effect until test results come back showing that bacterial levels have returned to within normal health standards.
As for keeping the public informed, authorities are disseminating updates via the advisory hotline at 800-525-5662 and on their Environmental Health website. For further inquiries, the Department of Public Health is reachable at (626) 430-5360. The Public Health officials are expected to announce when the waters are deemed safe and, as per the usual protocol, at least two consecutive clean water sampling results are necessary before the area can be reopened to the public, as per the County of Los Angeles.
Details regarding the incident and updates on beach closures are consistently posted on the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health environmental website, serving as an essential resource for beachgoers and locals concerned about the status of their coastal amenities.
